[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/flaky/)

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# flaky

adjective (flaky, flakier, flakiest — also spelled flakey)

«flaky» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Flaky means breaking off easily into thin, flat pieces called flakes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#m1)
2. Flaky skin is dry and comes off in small bits. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#m2)
3. (informal) A flaky person is unreliable: they forget things or cancel plans. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#m3)
4. (informal) Something flaky, like a wifi connection or a computer program, works only some of the time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#m4)

### In the lessons

In cooking, flaky pastry is light with many thin layers, like in a sausage roll or croissant. In health, dry or flaky skin may need cream. In everyday talk and stories, a flaky friend is one you cannot count on. Common phrases: «flaky pastry», «flaky skin», «flaky paint», «a bit flaky», «flaky internet».

### Examples

- The sausage rolls were made with flaky pastry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x1)
- The old paint on the gate was flaky. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x2)
- My lips get flaky in winter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x3)
- Don't rely on Jake — he's a bit flaky and always cancels. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x4)
- The wifi is flaky in the garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x5)
- Fish is cooked when it is white and flaky. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x6)
- A Flake is a crumbly chocolate bar that goes in ice cream in the UK. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/#x7)

### Note

Comparative: flakier, flakiest. Built from «flake» + «-y». The «unreliable» meaning is informal; it is a mild criticism, not a rude word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «flaky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/flaky/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«flaky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/flaky.html) on Mova free.